We rarely learn about space travel on this side of the pond. By the time I departed the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, I was ready to single-handedly campaign for it to be added to the school syllabus myself.
I get it. Why would we bother learning about what else is out there when we can barely get our own affairs in order on this planet? But there are so many invaluable lessons to be learned from a trip to KSCVC. Eye-opening really doesn’t cut it.
There was one moment in particular that left me feeling truly humbled. Our visit coincided with a rocket launch, which has now become an almost bi-weekly occurrence on the Space Coast due to the battle of the billionaires – and I was so glad it did.
An unconscious smile crept across my face as Elon Musk’s latest Starlink satellite shot into orbit, thankfully going far smoother than their failed Starship attempt days later, while I got a shot in the arm of how small and insignificant we are.
We watched on from the Banana Creek Launch Viewing bleachers outside the Apollo/Saturn V Center, but visitors will soon have the option of taking a seat at the Visitor Complex’s newest attraction, The Gantry at LC-39.
The finishing touches were still being made during our trip, but we’d been given a behind-the-scenes look around the day before. Its four tiers and 360-degree views will provide an unparalleled rocket launch experience.
There’s also a full-scale model of a rocket engine that will simulate a test fire, an interactive rocket building experience to see if you’ve got a future in space engineering, and NASA’s largest Earth Information Center.
It will join the Apollo/Saturn V Center on the bus tour that’s included with admission, and you even get a close-up look at another humbling sight – the Vehicle Assembly Building, the largest single-story building in the world and where, as the name suggests, components are put together ready for launch.
It’s well worth planning your visit around one, but there’s still so much to see and do regardless. You ideally need two days to fully take in all there is on offer, although you could cram in most of the must-sees if you arrive promptly for opening at 9am and stick around until closing at 5pm.
And that’s not because of endless queues or overcrowded rooms. It’s just testament to how detailed, vast and insightful the whole place is.
After passing the NASA meatball and entering via a security check, you’re first met with the Rocket Garden, which has flowered since the doors first opened in 1967 to now include rockets from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Beyond the garden you’ll find Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, offering a look at the here and now as well as the future of space exploration.
For me and many others I spoke to, the tear-jerking highlight is Space Shuttle Atlantis. It’s a proper rollercoaster of emotions that begins with utter awe as a series of small presentations culminate in the reveal of Atlantis itself, the orbiter that went to space and back 33 times.
You can then experience the thrill of a simulated launch, before being brought back down to earth by Forever Remembered, a tribute to the 14 astronauts who were lost in the Columbia and Challenger disasters. Each exhibit houses personal items from that astronaut, putting their sacrifice into perspective.
The Apollo/Saturn V Center is a short bus ride away, but there are plenty of them in rotation and you’re never standing in queues for long. The Apollo missions are where it all started and you get to relive the drama and feel the weight of expectation from that era.
One of the things the Visitor Complex does really well throughout is telling a story, by setting the scene with a trio of video presentations upon your arrival to an attraction, before letting you go and explore for yourself at your own pace. It keeps the flow of visitors manageable and gives structure to what could otherwise be an overwhelming experience.
And there’s so much to see and do once again at this stop, the most glaring being the actual Saturn V rocket, the largest ever flown. You will really feel you’d benefit of a second day at the Centre to take in everything back at the main complex.
The Heroes and Legends exhibition, including the US Astronauts Hall of Fame, puts the spotlight on the people who make it possible. And at an additional cost, you can actually chat with an astronaut in a Q&A session while enjoying a drink and a bite to eat. Or alternatively, a more widescale presentation is included with admission.
That’s not to mention the IMAX theatre, kids play area and Hyperdeck VR game, which I’ll be returning one day to avenge my defeat on. With single-day tickets costing $77 plus tax for an adult and $67 plus tax for a child, plus a two-day ticket offering a significant discount at $91 per adult/$81 per child, money’s worth doesn’t even cut it.
Particularly, when you compare it to the cost of a day out at Florida’s most talked-about attractions like Disney World and Universal. KSCVC is less than an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando and also Melbourne, where we flew into courtesy of TUI.
So there’s no need to stay nearby to visit, although it was great fun at the Courtyard by Marriott Titusville, where you’ll often see the astronauts staying themselves and space gear being slowly delivered across the lagoon.
All in all, I struggle to think of a better example of teaching your children without them even realising they’re learning. KSCVC is the ideal blend of museum and theme park, experience and education.
Many will go away with lofty dreams of becoming an astronaut, and who knows, one amongst the thousands might well do it. But the most important message is that you can do anything you put your mind to.
Book it
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (www.kennedyspacecenter.com) brings to life the epic story of the US space programme, offering a full day or more of fun, inspiration, and educational activities. Single-day admission is $77 per adult/$67 per child plus tax, and the two-day ticket is $91 per adult/$81 per child plus tax. Located just 45 minutes from Orlando, Florida, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is open daily at 9am, with closing times varying by season.
- Chat With An Astronaut tickets are in addition to general admission and cost $50 plus tax for adults and $35 plus tax for children. Price includes snacks, soft drinks, one alcoholic drink per adult ticket, a commemorative gift and lithograph (signed portrait) of the astronaut.
Guest can embrace their passion for outer space at the Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center (www.marriott.co.uk). The hotel offers spectacular views from the hotel’s rooftop bar, The Space Bar (www.spacebarusa.com), which serves local food and drinks and provides a prime viewing area for rocket launches. Rooms start from $170 plus taxes per night, on a room-only basis.
TUI (www.tui.co.uk) offers return flights to Melbourne Orlando Airport, Florida from £362 per person. Price is based on two adults departing from London Gatwick, with 15kg hold luggage and 10kg hand luggage per person, plus complimentary meals and drinks. To book, go to tui.co.uk, visit your local TUI holiday store or download the app.